The Golarion Gazette

The development of wood-based armor designs such as the sankeit and wooden breastplate was a boon to druids, who had been waiting decades for armor that would provide good protection while conforming to their strict taboos against using metal. However, these new armors have often offended the environmental sensibilities of many druids, as the large amounts of raw wood needed to refine to produce high-quality armor has been linked to increased deforestation. A new armor material, though, purports to provide the benefits of wood without the environmental impact. The new material is made by taking the byproducts of ore refining and applying alchemical transmutations to it, producing a dense wood-like substance with strength and weight similar to iron but containing no actual metal.

Ore-based wood armors have experienced a meteoric rise in popularity, with sales more than tripling in the last year alone. “Finally I can wear armor that accords with all my moral principles,” said aphorite druid Amira Kelvin. “Now I will be well protected when I go on a quest to invade kobold homelands, kill them, and take their treasure.” The Lumber Consortium, a logging company known for its aggressive marketing and controversial labor practices, has attempted to counter the rise of ore-based wood with a viral ad campaign featuring renowned thespian Christina Park. “Real wood only grows on trees,” says the ads, which have been widely mocked by ore-based wood producers.

Ore-based wood is just one of the wave of new advancements in armor materials to arrive in recent years. Armors made from coral, ceramics, and even leaves have hit the market in adventuring shops across Golarion. One of the most unusual types of armor was created by Erutaki armorsmiths located in the Crown of the World. The armor, known as niyahaat, is controversial because it is made from the bones of once-living creatures, and several sentient animals must be killed to make each suit. In response, armorsmith Kasuri Sekiyama said that “we only use bones of creatures that have already been killed by adventurers, so we’re not actually killing anything that wouldn’t have died already.”